Ice-tool.



-R. C. LAFFERTY ICE TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 915.

Patented May 21,1918.

rr ans rarer ai men.

ROBERT C. LAFFERTY, or new YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB, T ASA M. JENKINS, on NEW YORK, 1v. Y.

ICE-TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1%18.

Application filed May 22, 1915. Serial 1T 0. 29,723.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT C. LAFFERTY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Tools, of which the following,

is a specification.

My invention relates to tools, and particularly to a tool to be employed in connection with ice to facilitate its handling and preparation for domestic or other ordinary uses.

One object of my invention is to provide a device whereby a firm, sure grip upon a cake of ice may be secured without contact of the person using the same with the ice.

Another object is to provide an ice tool having means for gripping a cake of ice wherein certain of the means directly cooperating with the ice to perform the gripping action may be used to comminute the ice.

Another object is to provide an ice tool having ice gripping members, which tool may be held in either hand, said tool being so formed that when one tool is held in each hand the members thereon are on opposite faces and are pointed in substantiallythe same directions respectively.

Another object of my invention is to provide a compound tool for gripping, comminuting and breaking up a cake of ice.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate similar parts in the diflerent figures, v

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ice tool embodying a preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 1'; v

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the. device shown in Fig. 1'

y a Fig. 4 'is atop plan vie w of the device shown in Fig.1;

Fig. 5 illustrates the manner in which'two ice tools areused in transporting a cake of ice; and p l Fig. 6 shows the manner in which one of the tools is used to comminute ice.

For the purpose of disclosing my invention, an ice tool made of sheet metal and embodying my invention is illustrated in the various figures of the drawings, which comprises a body member 1 and a handle memher 2. The center portion of the body member l is pressed up from the plane of the body member to form a bulging projection 8, which is adapted to fit into the hollow of the hand when the tool is being used. This bulging projection does not necessarily have to be in the form illustrated, but may be in any form which will fit the hand and prevent relative movement of the hand and tool when the hand is pressed against the upper face of the body member. Surrounding the bulging projection is a preferably flat border i comprising the edge of the body member. Attached to, and preferably integral with, that part of the border of the body of the tool which comprises one edge of the tool is a handle member, which is in the form of device illustrated a part of the same sheet of metal from which the body member of the tool is made This handle member 2 comprises a projecting portion 5 extending perpendicularly from the plane of the body iii-ember and having attached to its end the tongue member 6, which extends parallel to the plane of the body member, so that when the hand is placed over the bulging projection on the body member it is held thereagainst by the tongue member 6 of the handle member 2.

On the border of the body member, adj acent to the point to which the handle member is attached, are one or more ice gripping projections 7 These projections are formed by cutting V-shaped slots in the sheet metal and pressing outward the pointed tongue formed by the V-shaped slot, and so long as it is impracticable to grip a piece of ice with a metallic body without penetrating the surface thereof these projections are adapted to dig into and penetrate the surface of the ice.

These projectlons are pointed toward that side of the body member to which the handle member is attached. One or more similar projections may be formed on the diametrically opposite portion of the border and be pointed in the same direction. n

At one end of the tool, if the'border is formed with a plurality of teeth 8, which are pointed in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction in which the ice gripping teeth 7 are pointed. These teeth also are positioned at an angle to the planeof the body member, and they are stiffened by formingcorrugations 9 in the material from which they are formed.

It may also be noted at this time that'the handle member 2 is stiflened by forming corrugations extending throughout the length of the projecting portion 5 and the tongue" member '6.

The opposite endof the body portion is formed to provide the ordinary ice pick 10'. a This is done by cutting the material along' the linesa, b, in Fig. 4, and then ben'ding oneof the projections 11 along'the line be so that it lies on' top ofthe 'pointedportion 12 formed on the end of the body member. The other portion 11 is bent along the line be so that itlies on the under pointed portion formed on the end of the body member of the tool. The portions 11 are bent so that they are in close contact,

respectively, with the upperand lower'faces of the-portion '12, which isintegral with the body member, and the ice pick point 10 is completed by sharpening-the projection thus formed on the body member.

When it'is desired to transport cake of ice,.one of these tools is held in each hand,

as shown in F 5, and the tools are pressed against opposlte sides of the cake 'of ice 13. The ice gripping members 7 directly cooperate with the cake of ice, and, as thehands are raised to lift the cake, they are forced into its surface.

the cake ofice and tend to assist'in lifting it and at the same'time prevent the ice from swinging about an axispassing througlr the twoice tools.

In order to' comminute a cake of ice, one of the-tools is held in the ordiharyway in thehand, and the teeth Sarepuished across the surface of the ice and, digginginto it,- grind the ice'into small chips.

Thepick member 10 maybeusedfin the ordinary way to "break a cake of iceinto small pieces.

While I have described an ice tool emside of the" The bulging projection which fits the hollow of the hand bodying my invention with great detail} I do not intend that my invention shall be limited to the specific features described, but intend' that the drawings" description sh'all be'merely interpretive of my invention, and that my invention shall only be defined by the hereunto appended claims.

As examples of some of the modifications which I contemplate as being within the scope of my claims, the ice gripping or penetrating projections might be separate from and attached to thebodyportionof the member, and the hand-engaging member mightbe ma'd'e of iany desired sh'apegand se cured to'the body member in' any desired way' so long-as it enable's 'th'e-user to exert 1 the desiredforce on the icetooli- However, thesesp'ecific features'form' no part of myinvention and do not therefore 'ap 'a'ear'" in tl1e drawings;

Whatd claim and desire to secu're'by Let ters Patent 1 of' the United States is the folj I lowing?- 1. As an article of manufacture, an icetool comprising a body having pointed m'em bers thereon, certain of said members actingto grip theice'to preventjre lativemotion of the tool and ice'iir'onedirectioir, and certain of said members acting to steady'the'ice relwhen moved relatively thereto in: a direction substantially at "right angles to the first named di-re'ctidm;

:2. As an article of manufacture, an ice" tool comprising a body havingone face thereof formed -to provide a 'hand grip and another face "thereof being-provided with members for cooperating with the ice to grip 1 the-ice when a' forc'e' 'is applied to "the tool tending'jto move itin one direction andfor comminuting the ice when aforce'is applied to the tooltendingto move it in a direction substantiallyat right -anglesto the first named direction:

3;- As an article f of manufacture, an ice tool comprising a"body 'having ioepe'ne trating members' on one face 1 thereof pointed toward one edge thereof and "a hand-engag ing member attached -to 'that edge and projecting from the 'op'positeface thereof; said tool being adapted to be used in coiiperation" vvlth a similar tooltoraise' a piece-of ice by pressing said tools againstoppositesides thereofi' 4. As an article of manufacture, an ice tool 'comprising body" having "ice pene trating members on one face ther'eoff and 1ahand-engaginginember projecting. humane opposite face thereof} the said woibeing' adapted to-be-"used*in' coeperat'i'on with a similar tool to raise a piece oficejbypress ing said tool 'aga'instbpposite" side's thereof.

55 As "an" article of manufacturd anice tool comprlslng a body having ice pene trating members on one face thereof pointed toward one edge thereof, another face being formed to fit the hand, and having a handengaging member to prevent movement of the hand relatively to the body in the direction of said edge.

6. As an article of manufacture, an ice tool comprising a body having ice penetrating projections on one face thereof and ice penetrating and steadying projections on one edge thereof.

7 As an article of manufacture, an ice tool comprising a substantially flat body member having ice penetrating projections on one face thereof and ice penetrating and steadying' projections substantially at one edge thereof, said last-named projections comprising means to comminute the ice, and one edge of said body member being bent back to form a hand-engaging member.

8. As an article of manufacture, an ice tool comprising a substantially fiat body member having ice penetrating projections on one face thereof and pointed toward one edge thereof and a portion of said edge be ing bent back across the other face forming a portion engaging the hand to prevent it from slipping from said last named face.

9. As an article of manufacture, an ice tool comprising a substantially flat body member having ice penetrating projections extending from one face thereof and having the other face thereof adapted to accommodate the hand of the user when pressing said projections into the ice, and being provided with a projecting member at one edge of said last-named face to prevent the hand of the user from sliding therefrom.

10. As an article of manufacture, an ice tool comprising a body member of' sheet metal, one end of said body member comprising an ice tool comprising a pointed portion having reinforcing parts lying adjacent one or more of its faces and attached respectively to the edges of said pointed portion.

11. As an article of manufacture, a compound ice tool comprising a substantially flat body portion having ice gripping projections on one face thereof and a handle on the opposite face thereof, one end of said member being provided withice comminuting means and the other [end being provided with an ice pick whereby ice gripped by said gripping projections may be held against rotation by Is)aid comminuting means and said pick mem- 12. As an article of manufacture, an ice tool comprising a substantially flat body member having a depression in one face to accommodate inequalities of the surface of a piece of ice to be handled and having icepenetrating projections on said face and being provided on its opposite face with a hand-engaging member to ,prevent the hand of the user from slipping therefrom, said tool being adapted to be used in cooperation with a similar tool to raise a piece of ice by pnessing said tools against opposite sides thereof.

13. As an article of manufacture, an ice tool comprising a substantially flat body member having ice-penetrating projections on one face thereof and being provided on its opposite face with a hand-engaging member to prevent the hand of the user from slipping thenefrom, said tool being adapted t9 be used in cooperation with a similar tool to raise a piece of ice by pressing said tools against opposite sides thereof.

14:- An ice grip comprising two members wholly independent of each other, which are in the form of bodies with teeth extending therefrom, whereby when each member is gripped in a hand of the operator the ice I may be held by and between the teeth of said members.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ROBERT C. LAFFERTY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

